Retractable clothesline device



Feb. 3, 1959 E. w. OSTLUND 2,872,047

RETRACTABLE CLOTHESLINE DEVICE Filed May 28, 1954 NAYS RETRACTABLE CLfiTiESLINE DEVICE Earl W. Ostlund, 'Cokato, Minn.

Application May 28, 1954, Serial No. 433,013 1 Claim. (Cl.211-119.15)

This invention relates to a clothesline device and more particularly to apparatus which will permit extension and retraction of clothesline to and from operative position.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a device which will be quick and simple to operate and which will maintain clotheslines in readiness for use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device which will house in open atmosphere a plurality of clotheslines against the effects of wind, sun and moisture, yet which will permit eificient simultaneous extension of the lines from one supporting structure to a remotely positioned supporting structure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the class described in which a plurality of spaced clotheslines may be simultaneously extended to a supported position in spaced relation with said device, and the device also providing means for safely tensioning the lines.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a clothesline device which has a novel self-winding means for playing out and reeling in a clothesline, which mechanism also serves to supply slack in the line while anchoring it and, in addition, serves as a manual tightener when the clothes line has been anchored.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of my clothesline device in operable position, a segment of the clotheslines having been cut away and the supporting structures shown segmentally and in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the device in inverted position, portions thereof being sectioned horizontally to better show the internal structure of the parts;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the medial portion of the device taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the winding means taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring noW to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows my retractable clothesline device in its entirety and in operable position. The device has a protective housing mem ber which consists of an elongated sheathing member 11 having closed end members 12 at one end and 13 at the other end. The end members 12 and 13 both have rearwardly extending mounting brackets 14 and 15 respectively which are adapted to be secured through such means as bolts 16 to a mounting structure 17 such as the wall of a house or a clothesline post. The housing 10 has an elongated slotted opening 18 which is defined by an upper lip 19 and a lower lip 20 in spaced parallel relation as shown more particularly in Fig. 4.

States Patent Fatented Feb. .3, i 959 The housing has a pair of bearing members 21 and 22 which are mounted in the end plates 12 and 13 respectively. A winding mechanism indicated generally at 23 is journaled across the housing and has a shaft 24 which extends through the journals 21 and 22. A spool or reel 25 is axially secured to shaft 24 as shown in Fig. 2. Shaft 24 extends outwardly of the end plates 12 and 13 to present short lengths 26 and 27 respectively. The out wardly extending length 26 is secured to a coil spring 28 at the inner end thereof, the outer end of spring 28 being secured to the housing at the end plate 12 and lying within a casing 29, the casing 29 being either formed integrally with the housing 10 or provided as a separate attachment.

The other end of shaft 24 at the outward extension 27 is secured to a ratchet Wheel 30 as shown in Fig. 3, the ratchet wheel always rotating simultaneously with shaft 24 and with the spool or reel 25. A hand wheel 31 is also axially secured to shaft 24 so as to manually rotate the spool or reel 25 as desired.

On the outside of the plate 13 are mounted a pair of pawls 32 and 33 in such a manner as to be pivotal with respect to pins 34 and 35 is a convergent direction. A tension spring 36 is interposed between the pawl teeth 37 and 38 of the respective pawls 32 and 33. The pawl teeth 37 and 38 are thus constantly urged toward engagement with the teeth of ratchet 30 as shown in Fig. 3.

A pawl actuator is shown generally at 39 and comprises a collar 40 which surrounds the shaft 24 in freely rotatable relation and is provided with cam lobes 41 and 42 respectively as shown in Fig. 3. Intermediate the cam lobes 41 and 42 and also secured to the collar 40 is a handle 43 for turning the cam lobes about the shaft 24.

One or more clotheslines may be secured to the spool or reel 25, the drawing disclosing a pair of such clotheslines indicated at 44 and 45 respectively. The inner ends of the clotheslines may be knotted or otherwise secured to the reel and the outer ends have securing means such as the eye hooks 46 and 47 respectively, each of the eye hooks in turn being secured to a bar 48 as shown in Fig. 2. The bar 48 in turn may be provided with fasteners 49 and 50 in the form of eye hooks which are adapted to hook to cooperative fasteners 51 and 52 as shown in Fig. l. The cooperative fasteners are anchored to a supporting structure 53 which lies in remote spaced relation with the supporting structure 17 and may likewise comprise a building wall or a clothesline post.

In the use and operation or" my clothesline device, the bar 4% lies in traversing relation with the opening 13 formed longitudinally of the housing 10. Since the reel or spool 25 is under constant torque, the bar will remain in such position until it is manually pulled from the housing. When it is desired to extend the clothesline into operative position, the pawl actuator handle 43 is in the position shown in Fig. 3. The bar 48 may then be pulled forwardly of the device, the spring tension of coil spring 28 tending to increase as the clotheslines are pulled forwardly. However, in the event the operator should accidentally lose his grip on the bar 48, the device will not snap back toward the housing because the pawl 32 will prevent the reverse rotation of the winding spool or reel 25. The bar 48 is pulled forwardly for a short distance beyond the length required so that the clotheslines 44 and 45 will be in a somewhat slack condition. The hook elements 49 and 50 may then be secured across the cooperative fastening members 51 and 52 without any force being exerted thereon by the clotheslines 44 and 45. After securing the bar 48 as shown in Fig. 1, the operator then rotates the pawl actuating handle 43 in a counter-clockwise direction with respect to Fig. 3 until the cam lobe 42 releases pawl 33 and permits it to contact the ratchet 3t) and simultaneously causes the pawl 32 to become disengaged from the ratchet 30 by camming action of the lobe 41. When'in this new position, the spring tension of coil spring 28 will cause the reel or spool 25 to begin Winding in the slack in clotheslines 44 and 45. The pawl finger 38 will prevent reverse rotation of the spool. When the slack has been taken up in the lines, the operator can then further tension the lines by rotating the hand wheel 31 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the lower end in Fig. 1. The lines 44 and 45 will then be tensioned to the proper degree with pawl finger 38 preventing the .release of the lines.

When it is again desired to retract the clotheslines from operable position, the actuator handle 43 is placed back to the position of Fig. 3 and the lines 44 and 45 will be manually pulled to obtain a slight amount of slack. The bar 48 is then disengaged from the respective hooks 51 and 52and the pawl actuator handle 43 is again rotated in a counterclockwise direction to disengage the pawl finger 37, thus permitting the reel 25 to wind up the clotheslines 44 and 45 and bring the bar 48 into traversing relation with the opening 18. When thus positioned, the elements cannot harm the clothesline since it will be in protected condition Within the housing 10.

It may thus be seen that I have devised a novel retractable clothesline device in which a self-winding reel may be employed to effect retraction of the clothesline and at the same time a simply devised pawl mechanism will prevent the accidental return of the line and also Will maintain the requisite degree of slack in a plurality of lines which will permit the mounting and dismounting thereof without undue exertion.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may he made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the various parts without departing from the scope-of my invention.

What is claimed is:

A retractable clothesline device comprising a housing of generally cylindrical shape and having an elongated horizontal opening formed longitudinally thereof at a forwardly facing position and having means at the rear thereof for mounting said device on a mounting structure, said housing having a hood extending forwardly over said opening in protecting relation therewith, a

winding mechanism journaled axially of said cylindrical housing and having a shaft terminating outwardly of each of the sides of said cylindrical housing, a turning element mounted exteriorly of the casing to said shaft, spiral spring tension means having one end afiixed to said shaft and the other affixed to said casing whereby to apply resilient torque to said shaft, a spool secured to the shaft within said cylindrical housing, ratchet means mounted exteriorly of said housing and having pawl engagement with said shaft for alternately permitting rotation of the shaft in one direction and then in the other, a plurality of 'clotheslines simultaneously Wound upon said spool in spaced relation and having their respective outer ends passing outwardly through said opening, a bar having fastening means 'for securing the respective ends of said lines and having a plurality of opposed and spaced fastening means for anchoring remotely from said housing with the plurality of lines in extended position, and a fixed supporting structure having spaced cooperating fastening means releasably securingthe said spaced fastening means on said bar, said bar being retractable when released from said supporting structure under torque of said shaft which thereafter winds .said plurality of lines and causes the barto enter said opening under the hood for sealing the interior of said housing against the elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,889 Fahy Aug. 18, 1896 1,017,010 McNair Feb. 13, 1912 1,408,929 Clay Mar. 7, 1922 1,493,436 Kubista et al May 6, 1924 2,006,261 Catella June 25, 1935 2,134,420 Smith Oct. 25, 1938 2,547,777 Ray Apr. ;3, 1951 new 

